Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A computer apparatus, comprising: a main body of the computer apparatus having a first case and a second case, the first case being assembled to the second case when said main body is assembled, and the first case being not assembled to the second case when said main body is not assembled; a sensor unit sensing when said main body is assembled, sensing when said main body is not assembled, outputting a first signal when said main body is assembled, and outputting a second signal when said main body is not assembled; a memory unit storing information pertaining to an assembly state of said main body, according to the first and second signals received from said sensor unit; a plurality of peripheral units; and a controller unit selectively executing a routine according to the information stored by said memory unit, the routine being a plug and play routine gathering data describing said plurality of peripheral units, said controller unit selectively executing the routine when power is supplied to the computer apparatus, said controller unit being coupled to said plurality of peripheral units; said sensor unit further comprising: a sensor element selectively switching to one state among a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding to said main body being assembled, the second state corresponding to said main body being not assembled; and a microcomputer connected to said sensor element, said microcomputer transmitting a third signal to said controller unit when said sensor element switches to the second state.
2. The computer apparatus of claim 1, said controller unit not executing the routine when the information stored by said memory unit corresponds to said main body being assembled, and said controller unit executing the routine when the information stored by said memory unit corresponds to said main body being not assembled.
3. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first signal corresponds to a low signal and the second signal corresponds to a high signal.
4. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: said sensor element corresponding to a light sensor, said light sensor switching to the second state and outputting the second signal when receiving light, and said light sensor switching to the first state and outputting the first signal when not receiving light; said microcomputer outputting the third signal to said controller unit when receiving the second signal from said light sensor; and said light sensor receiving light when said main body is not assembled and said light sensor not receiving light when said main body is assembled.
5. The computer apparatus of claim 4, wherein the third signal corresponds to a system management interrupt signal.
6. The computer apparatus of claim 4, said light sensor being mounted on a printed circuit board of the computer apparatus.
7. The computer apparatus of claim 5, wherein said controller unit executes the routine when said controller unit receives said system management interrupt signal from said microcomputer.
8. The computer apparatus of claim 4, said light sensor further comprising: a transistor having a control electrode, a first transistor electrode of a principal electrically conducting channel connected to a power source, and a second transistor electrode of the principal electrically conducting channel; a first inverter having a first input electrode and a first output electrode, said first input electrode being connected to said second transistor electrode; a second inverter having a second input electrode and a second output electrode, said second input electrode being connected to said first output electrode; a first resistor having a first resistor terminal connected to a first terminal of said microcomputer and a second resistor terminal connected to said second output electrode; and a second resistor having a first resistor electrode connected to said first terminal of said microcomputer and having a second resistor electrode connected to said second transistor electrode.
9. The computer apparatus of claim 8, wherein said transistor switches on when said control electrode of said transistor receives a first quantity of light, and switches off when said control electrode of said transistor does not receive said first quantity of light, said first quantity of light only being received when said main body is not assembled.
10. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein said light sensor outputs the first signal when said transistor switches off, and said light sensor outputs the second signal when said transistor switches on.
11. The computer apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: said sensor element further comprising: an activator unit mounted on the second case; and a switch unit switching to the first state when engaging said activator unit, said switch unit switching to the second state when not engaging said activator unit, said switch unit being mounted on the first case; said microcomputer connected to said switch unit, said microcomputer transmitting the third signal to said controller unit when said switch unit switches to the second state.
12. The computer apparatus of claim 11, said activator unit being mounted on an inside surface of a first side of the second case and positioned to project toward an inside area of said main body, said switch unit being mounted on a first side of the first case, and said switch unit being connected to a cable attached to a printed circuit board of the computer apparatus.
13. The computer apparatus of claim 11, said switch unit engaging said activator unit when said main body is assembled, and said switch unit not engaging said activator unit when said main body is not assembled.
14. The computer apparatus of claim 11, wherein said controller unit corresponds to a central processing unit.
15. A computer apparatus, comprising: a main body of the computer apparatus having a first case and a second case, the first case being assembled to the second case when said main body is assembled, and the first case being not assembled to the second case when said main body is not assembled; a sensor unit sensing when said main body is assembled, sensing when said main body is not assembled, outputting a first signal when said main body is assembled, and outputting a second signal when said main body is not assembled; a memory unit storing information pertaining to an assembly state of said main body, according to the first and second signals received from said sensor unit; at least one peripheral unit; and a controller unit executing a routine gathering data describing said at least one peripheral unit when the information stored by said memory unit corresponds to said main body being not assembled, said controller unit not executing the routine when the information stored by said memory unit corresponds to said main body being assembled; said sensor unit further comprising: a sensor element selectively switching to one state among a first state and a second state, the first state corresponding to said main body being assembled, the second state corresponding to said main body being not assembled; and a microcomputer connected to said sensor element, said microcomputer transmitting a third signal to said controller unit when said sensor element switches to the second state.
16. The computer apparatus of claim 15, said sensor unit further comprising: said sensor element further comprising: an activator unit mounted on the second case; and a switch unit switching to the first state when engaging said activator unit and switching to the second state when not engaging said activator unit, said switch unit being mounted directly onto a printed circuit board connected to the first case; said microcomputer connected to said switch unit, said microcomputer transmitting the third signal to said controller unit when said switch unit switches to the second state.
17. The computer apparatus of claim 16, said activator unit being mounted on outside surface of a first side of the second case and positioned to project toward an inside area of said main body.
18. The computer apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: said sensor element further comprising; a light unit connected to the first case of said main body; a light transmitter connected to said light unit and transmitting electromagnetic radiation; a light receiver connected to said light unit and receiving the electromagnetic radiation; and a light reflecting unit reflecting to said light receiver the electromagnetic radiation transmitted from said light transmitter when the second case is assembled to the first case, said light reflecting unit not reflecting to said light receiver the electromagnetic radiation transmitted from said light transmitter when the second case is not assembled to the first case, said light reflecting unit being connected to the second case, said light receiver switching to the first state when the electromagnetic radiation is received from said light reflecting unit, said light receiver switching to the second state when the electromagnetic radiation is not received from said light reflecting unit; said microcomputer receiving a first signal from said light unit when said light receiver receives the electromagnetic radiation, receiving a second signal from said light unit when said light receiver does not receive the electromagnetic radiation, and outputting the third signal to said controller unit when receiving the second signal.
19. The computer apparatus of claim 18, said light unit being mounted on a printed circuit board connected to the first case, said light reflecting unit being mounted on an inside surface of a first side of the second case, and the electromagnetic radiation being transmitted from said light transmitter through an aperture formed in a first side of the first case to said light reflecting unit.
20. The computer apparatus of claim 18, whereas the electromagnetic radiation corresponds to light in the wavelength range of infrared light.
21. A booting method for a computer system, comprising the steps of: supplying power to the computer system; executing a first routine testing and initializing electronic components of the computer system; sensing when a main body of the computer system has been disassembled, said sensing being performed by a sensor unit; transmitting a control signal from a microcomputer coupled with said sensor unit when said sensor senses that said main body has been disassembled; recording first data in a first memory unit when sensor unit senses that said main body has been disassembled in accordance with said control signal, not recording said first data in said first memory when said main body has not been disassembled; identifying said first data stored in said first memory unit; determining whether a main body of the computer system has been disassembled, according to said first data; selectively executing a second routine according to said determining step, said second routine gathering second data describing a plurality of peripheral devices connected to the computer system; and executing a third routine to load third data to a second memory unit of the computer system.
22. The booting method of claim 21, said first routine corresponding to a power on self test routine and said second routine corresponding to a plug and play routine.
23. The booting method of claim 21, said third data corresponding to operating system data.
24. The booting method of claim 21, said main body further comprising a first case and a second case, the first case being assembled to the second case when said main body is assembled, and the first case being disassembled from the second case when said main body is disassembled.
25. The booting method of claim 24, said second routine being executed when said determining step determines that said main body has been disassembled, and said second routine not being executed when said determining step determines that said main body has not been disassembled.
26. A computer system, comprising: a main body having a first case and a second case; a board; a sensor unit sensing when said first and second cases are disassembled, outputting an output signal when said first and second cases are disassembled; a microcomputer being coupled with said sensor unit, said microcomputer transmitting a control signal when said microcomputer receives said output signal from said sensor unit; and a controller unit selectively controlling said computer system responsive to said control signal output from said microcomputer; said sensor unit being mounted on said board, said sensor unit receiving power from a battery mounted on said board, said sensor unit being located at a position where external light is incident when said first and second cases are open.
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Unknown
July 18, 2000
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